Granular excreta treating material, production method thereof, and extrusion type compressive granulating apparatus thereof

ABSTRACT

Provided are a granular excreta treating material which has high absorbing property and is expected to exhibit disintegrability and aggregativeness, a production method thereof, and an extrusion type compressive granulating apparatus thereof. 
     The granular excreta treating material has absorbing property and is formed by extruding and granulating a raw material via a granulating hole, wherein the granulating hole includes a small diameter hole and a large diameter hole which are continuous to each other in the axial direction of the hole, in which the small diameter hole forms a compression zone, and the large diameter hole forms a non-compression zone, and in which the raw material is compressed at the compression zone, swells at the non-compression zone, and is cut into granules by a cutting blade rotating along an outlet surface of the non-compression zone.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an excreta treating material made ofabsorbent granules mainly containing compressively granulated organicfiber, a production method thereof, and an extrusion type compressivegranulating apparatus thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

Regarding an excreta treating material, it is required that absorbentgranules in a urine area are rapidly disintegrated and aggregated afterabsorbing urine from the viewpoint of the merchantable quality (thisaggregation helps a user to determine whether the granules are used ornot, and therefore it makes easy for a user to replace the used oneswith new granules).

In the past, in order to meet such requirement, a method has beenadopted which applies a material formed by mixing a paper powder andstarch, CMC, or absorbent polymer onto an outer peripheral surface of anabsorbent granule that is compressively granulated under hydration toform a coating layer on the surface, and bonds the adjacent granules toeach other by disintegrating the coating layer when absorbing urine sothat the granules can be aggregated. However, in this method, there areproblems in that manufacturing cost increases due to a manufacturingprocess necessary to form the absorbent granule as a double structure,and the coating layer is peeled off the coated surface (for example,refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-278826).

On the other hand, as a method of solving a problem of degradation indisintegration and aggregation of the granule without forming thecoating layer having the above-described problem, there is known amethod which adds oil, wax, or silicon to a raw material mainlycontaining organic fiber, and kneads and compresses the raw material tobe granulated so that the organic fibers may be satisfactorily separatedfrom each other when absorbing urine and are disintegrated andaggregated (for example, refer to JP-A No. 2008-136454).

However, in the above-described method, the featured absorbing propertyof the excreta treating material may be degraded due to the oil or thelike added to the raw material, manufacturing cost may increase due tothe use of oil or the like, and a fire is likely to occur during adrying process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a granular excreta treating material whichreliably achieves disintegrability and aggregativeness without coveringa granule with a coating layer and adding oil or the like, a productionmethod thereof, and an extrusion type compressive granulating apparatusthereof.

According to the invention, there is provided a granular excretatreating material having absorbing property and formed by extruding andgranulating a raw material via a granulating hole, wherein thegranulating hole includes a small diameter hole and a large diameterhole which are continuous to each other in the axial direction of thehole, the small diameter hole forms a compression zone, and the largediameter hole forms a non-compression zone, and the raw material iscompressed at the compression zone, swells at the non-compression zone,and is cut into granules by a cutting blade rotating along an outletsurface of the non-compression zone.

According to the invention, there is provided a granular excretatreating material that has absorbing property and is formed by extrudingand granulating a raw material via a granulating hole, wherein a cuttingblade is provided with a gap from an outlet surface side of thegranulating hole, the granulating hole forms a compression zone, and thegap forms a non-compression zone, and the raw material is compressed atthe compression zone, swells at the non-compression zone, and is cutinto granules by a cutting blade rotating along an outlet surface of thenon-compression zone.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of producing agranular excreta treating material by press-inserting a raw materialfrom an inlet of a granulating hole of an extrusion type compressivegranulating apparatus and cutting the raw material extruded from anoutlet of the granulating hole into granules by a cutting blade, themethod including: forming the granulating hole of which the front stageside forms a compression zone and the rear stage side forms anon-compression zone continuous to the compression zone; installing thecutting blade in a manner such that the cutting blade rotates along anoutlet surface of the non-compression zone; compressing the raw materialat the compression zone; allowing the raw material to swell at thenon-compression zone; and causing the cutting blade to rotate along theoutlet surface of the non-compression zone to cut the raw material intogranules.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of producing agranular excreta treating material by press-inserting a raw materialfrom an inlet of a granulating hole of an extrusion type compressivegranulating apparatus and cutting the raw material extruded from anoutlet of the granulating hole into granules by a cutting blade, themethod including: installing the cutting blade with a gap from an outletsurface side of the granulating hole; forming a compression zone in thegranulating hole; forming a non-compression zone in the gap; compressingthe raw material at the compression zone; allowing the raw material toswell at the non-compression zone; and causing the cutting blade torotate along the outlet surface of the non-compression zone to cut theraw material into granules.

According to the invention, there is provided an extrusion typecompressive granulating apparatus for a granular excreta treatingmaterial, including: a die table which has a plurality of granulatingholes passing through the die table; a pressurizing rotation wheel whichpress-inserts a raw material into each granulating hole of the die tableinto granules; and a cutting blade which cuts the raw material extrudedfrom an outlet of each granulating hole of the die table into granules,wherein the front stage side of the granulating hole forms a compressionzone and the rear stage side thereof forms a non-compression zonecontinuous to the compression zone, the cutting blade is provided torotate along an outlet surface of the non-compression zone, the rawmaterial is compressed at the compression zone, the raw material swellsat the non-compression zone, and the cutting blade rotates along theoutlet surface of the non-compression zone to cut the raw material intogranules.

According to the present invention, there is provided an extrusion typecompressive granulating apparatus for a granular excreta treatingmaterial, including: a die table which has a plurality of granulatingholes passing through the die table; a pressurizing rotation wheel whichpress-inserts a raw material into each granulating hole of the dietable; and a cutting blade which cuts the raw material extruded from anoutlet of each granulating hole of the die table into granules, whereinthe cutting blade is provided with a gap from an outlet surface side ofthe granulating hole, a compression zone is formed in the granulatinghole, a non-compression zone is formed in the gap, the raw material iscompressed at the compression zone, the raw material swells at thenon-compression zone, and the cutting blade rotates along the outletsurface of the non-compression zone to cut the raw material intogranules.

According to the invention, a cheap granular excreta treating materialfor pets having satisfactory absorbing property may be provided withoutforming a coating layer on the outer peripheral surface of the absorbentgranule to cause disintegrability and aggregativeness of the granule oradding oil or the like into a raw material mainly containing organicfiber to cause disintegrability and aggregativeness of the granule.

In any invention, the raw material continuously passes through thecompression zone that is applied with a pressure and the non-compressionzone that is not applied with a pressure, and is cut into granules bythe cutting blade. However, the density of the raw material increasesdue to the pressure applied to the raw material during a time when theraw material passes through the compression zone, but the pressureapplied to the raw material is completely released when the raw materialarrives at the non-compression zone after passing through thecompression zone, so that the raw material swells to become alow-density state, that is, to have a coarse void structure.Accordingly, the absorbing property of the granule remarkably improves,the disintegrability of the granule is promoted when absorbing urine,and accordingly the aggregativeness of the granules is more expected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a main enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a shape of agranulating hole according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a main enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a statewhere a raw material passes through a compression zone and anon-compression zone to be granulated in the first embodiment;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are tables illustrating a result of a breaking load testfor a granular excreta treating material having φ3 mm, where FIG. 3Aillustrates the first embodiment, and FIG. 3B illustrates the relatedart;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are tables illustrating a result of a breaking load testfor a granular excreta treating material having φ6 mm, where FIG. 4Aillustrates the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B illustrates the relatedart;

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a die table installed in an extrusiontype compressive granulating apparatus according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a main enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line A-Aof FIG. 5 that shows the extrusion type compressive granulatingapparatus according to the second embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a main enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a statewhere a raw material passes through a compression zone and anon-compression zone to be granulated in the second embodiment;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view illustrating absorbent granules;

FIG. 8B is a plan view illustrating an aggregated state of the granules;

FIG. 9A is a main cross-sectional view illustrating an extrusion typecompressive granulating apparatus according to the related art;

FIG. 9B is a plan view illustrating the extrusion type compressivegranulating apparatus; and

FIG. 10 is a main enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a shape ofa granulating hole according to the related art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention provides a granular excreta treating material havingsatisfactory absorbing property, whereby disintegrability andaggregativeness of the granular excreta treating material are expected.The granular excreta treating material has absorbing property and isformed by extruding and granulating a raw material via a granulatinghole, wherein the granulating hole includes a small diameter hole and alarge diameter hole which are continuous to each other in the axialdirection of the hole, in which the small diameter hole forms acompression zone, and the large diameter hole forms a non-compressionzone, and in which the raw material is compressed at the compressionzone, swells at the non-compression zone, and is cut into granules by acutting blade rotating along an outlet surface of the non-compressionzone.

First Embodiment

Hereinafter, the invention will be described in detail by referring to afirst preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. However,for convenience of description, an extrusion type compressivegranulating apparatus for a granular excreta treating material accordingto the invention will be described first together with a productionmethod thereof.

As shown in FIG. 9, a general extrusion type compressive granulatingapparatus includes: a disc-like die table 1 which has a plurality ofround compressive granulating holes 2 passing through the die table; aplurality of pressurizing rotation wheels 3 which presses a raw materialmainly containing organic fiber into compressive granulating holes 2 ofthe die table 1; and a cutting blade 4 which cuts the raw materialextruded from the outlet of each compressive granulating hole 2 of thedie table 1 into granules. A granular excreta treating material havingabsorbent granules is obtained in a manner such that the raw material issupplied onto the upper surface of the die table 1, the raw material ispressed into each compressive granulating hole 2 while each rotatingrotation wheel 3 revolves about the axis of the die table 1, and the rawmaterial extruded into a rod shape from the outlet of each compressivegranulating hole 2 is cut into a predetermined length. Further, the dietable 1 does not rotate.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 10, all of the compressive granulatingholes 2 passing through the die table 1 are formed to have the samediameter in the axial direction of the hole. Accordingly, the rawmaterial passing the compressive granulating hole 2 out is pressed by apressure obtained from the inner peripheral surface of the hole as wellas a pressure of the pressurizing rotation wheel 3, so that the rawmaterial is continuously compressed inside the compressive granulatinghole 2 while it runs from the inlet to the outlet thereof, and thenfinally extruded.

For this reason, the granule is hardened with high density in thegranular excreta treating material of the related art, whereby a urineabsorbing property is degraded, and disintegrability and aggregativenessare not expected. In order to make up for this problem, as described inthe related art, a method of forming a coating layer on the outerperipheral surface of the granule was adopted.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, each compressivegranulating hole 2 passing through the die table 1 is formed as adouble-stage hole structure; the front stage forms a compression zone Z1having a small diameter hole 2 a having the same diameter as thecompressive granulating hole 2 of the related art; and the rear stageforms a non-compression zone Z2 having a large diameter hole 2 b whichis continuous, in the axial direction, from the small diameter hole 2 aforming the compression zone Z1 and which has the same axis as the smalldiameter hole 2 a. Right after the raw material passes the compressionzone Z1 and the non-compression zone Z2, in other words, the smalldiameter hole 2 a and the large diameter hole 2 b, the cutting blade 4is rotated along the outlet surface of the non-compression zone Z2 tocut the raw material into granules. In this case, the height of thecompressive granulating hole 2 composed of the small diameter hole 2 aand the large diameter hole 2 b is set to be substantially equal to theheight of the compressive granulating hole 2 of the related art. Whenthe total thickness of the compressive granulating hole 2 of the relatedart is 40 mm, the invention has a configuration in which a thickness T1of the compressive zone Z1, that is, the height of the small diameterhole 2 a is set to be in the range from 1 to 10 mm, a thickness T2 ofthe non-compression zone Z2, that is, the height of the large diameterhole 2 b is set to be in the range from 30 to 39 mm, a diameter R1 ofthe compression zone Z1 is set to be in the range from 2 to 6 mm, andthe diameter R2 of the non-compression zone Z2 is set to be in the rangefrom 3 to 8 mm. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the cutting blade 4 isattached to a shaft 11 of the compressive granulating apparatus whilethe cutting blade 4 is disposed to face the outlet surface of thenon-compression zone Z2 with a slight gap therebetween or to slidethereon, and the cutting blade is configured to rotate along the outletsurface of the non-compression zone Z2. Further, the blade edge isobliquely inclined with respect to the rotation direction.

Accordingly, the granular excreta treating material produced by theextrusion type compressive granulating apparatus according to the firstembodiment continuously passes through the compression zone Z1 that isapplied with a pressure and the non-compression zone Z2 that is notapplied with a pressure in each compressive granulating hole 2 as shownin FIG. 2, and is cut into granules by the cutting blade 4. The densityof the entire raw material becomes comparatively high due to the highpressure applied to the raw material for a short time when the rawmaterial passes through the compression zone Z1, but the pressureapplied to the raw material is completely released when the raw materialpasses through the compression zone Z1 and arrives at thenon-compression zone Z2, so that the raw material swells. That is, theraw material is appropriately fastened at the compression zone Z1, andis extruded into a rod shape to go into the non-compression zone Z2. Therod-shaped material 7 extruded into the non-compression zone Z2 is notfastened inside the large diameter hole 2 b, but swells for a time whenthe rod-shaped material passes through the large diameter hole 2 b, sothat a low-density portion 5′ is formed at the free end of therod-shaped material 7. Granules 9 having a coarse density produced inthis manner are restored to be slightly rough as shown in FIG. 8A, sothat it comes to have a low-density, that is, a coarse void structure.Accordingly, the absorbing property improves, and the disintegrabilityand the aggregativeness are promoted. Further, the reference numeral R3shown in FIG. 8A indicates 3 mm or 6 mm of diameter.

Since each compressive granulating hole 2 is formed as a double-stagehole structure in the axial direction of the hole, as shown in FIG. 2,the raw material 5 passing through the non-compression zone Z2 issupplied to the cutting blade 4 while its extrusion posture from thecompression zone Z1 is regulated by a hole wall defining thenon-compression zone Z2, whereby the raw material is appropriately cutby the cutting blade 4 without causing excessive bentness. Further, inthe first embodiment, the double-stage hole structure is continuouslyperforated in one die table 1, but the invention is not limited thereto.For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the die table 1 isformed by two plates, the compression zone Z1 (small diameter hole 2 a)is perforated in one plate by drilling, the non-compression zone Z2(large diameter hole 2 b) is perforated in the other plate by drilling,and the plates are laminated. Particularly, in this case, there areadvantages in that the hole edge of each plate may be formed at a rightangle and one or the other plate may be replaced with a plate having ahole with a different diameter.

In other words, when it is assumed that the granular excreta treatingmaterial according to the first embodiment has the same granular shapeas that of the related art, the entire granular excreta treatingmaterial of the related art is compressed over the entire length of theelongated small diameter hole 2 shown in FIG. 10 to be fastened, but thegranular excreta treating material of the first embodiment is compressedat the short small diameter hole 2 a in the compression zone Z1 to havenecessary hardness, and naturally swells while passing through thenon-compression zone Z2 to have a low-density structure (coarse voidstructure). As a result, the disintegrability of the granules 9 ispromoted when absorbing urine and as shown in FIG. 8 b, the joining oraggregation 10 of the granules are more expected in accordance with thedisintegration.

Further, when the coarse void structure of the granular excreta treatingmaterial is represented with a numerical value of a breaking load test,the test results shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B are obtained. Thatis, in the tables shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the absorbent granule 9 is 3mm in diameter. Regarding “1” and “2” of FIG. 3A, the raw materialshaving the mixing ratios A and B below are granulated by the compressivegranulating apparatus and the production method thereof according to thefirst embodiment. Regarding “3” and “4” of FIG. 3B, the raw materialshaving the mixing ratios A and B are granulated by the compressivegranulating apparatus and the production method thereof according to therelated art. AN1 has a condition that the moisture is 8.6% and the diethickness (the height of the compression zone Z1) is 7 mm. “2” has acondition that the moisture is 10.6% and the die thickness is 7 mm. “3”has a condition that the moisture is 9.6% and the die thickness is 40mm. “4” has a condition that the moisture is 8.9% and the die thicknessis 40 mm.

In the tables shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the absorbent granule 9 is 6 mmin diameter. Regarding “1” and “2” of FIG. 4A, the raw materials havingthe mixing ratios A and B are granulated by the compressive granulatingapparatus and the production method thereof according to the firstembodiment. Regarding “3” and “4” of FIG. 4B, the raw materials havingthe mixing ratios A and B are granulated by the compressive granulatingapparatus and the production method thereof according to the relatedart. “1” has a condition that the moisture is 10.5% and the diethickness (the height of the compression zone Z1) is 5 mm. “2” has acondition that the moisture is 10.8% and the die thickness is 5 mm. “3”has a condition that the moisture is 7.2% and the die thickness is 40mm. “4” has a condition that the moisture is 9.3% and the die thicknessis 40 mm. Further, the above-described test was conducted by a strengthtester (trade name: auto graph manufactured by Shimadsu Corporation.)under the condition that the temperature is about 20° C. and thehumidity is about 60%.

According to the test result, in the breaking test of the granularexcreta treating material according to the first embodiment, thenumerical value of the breaking load N was 95 N or less. The same testwas repeatedly conducted, changing the mixing ratio or the diameter ofthe granule. As a result, it was turned out that satisfactorydisintegrability and aggregativeness were obtained with the breakingload of from 13 N to 95 N. On the contrary, in the granular excretatreating material granulated by the method of the related art, all thenumerical values of the breaking load were 160 N or more. Therefore,there was found an obvious difference between the invention and therelated art.

<Mixing Ratio A> (Ratio by Weight) Recycled Paper from 40% to 55%Inorganic Filling Material from 30% to 44% Adhesive from 1% to 30%

<Mixing Ratio B> (Ratio by Weight) Recycled Paper from 40% to 54%Inorganic Filling Material from 30% to 44% Adhesive from 1% to 15%Absorbent Polymer from 1% to 15%

Here, the inorganic filling material indicates a material formed byselectively mixing one or more of bentonite, calcium carbonate, talc,acid clay, zeolite, and the like. The adhesive indicates a materialformed by selectively mixing starch, CMC, guar gum, and the like.

In the granular excreta treating material according to the invention, acheap granular excreta treating material having high absorbing propertyand satisfactory disintegrability and aggregativeness may be providedwithout using a method of applying a paper powder to the outerperipheral surface of the absorbent granule 9 to form a coating layerthereon or a method of adding oil, wax, or silicon into a mixed materialas in the related art. Further, in the first embodiment, thelongitudinal compressive granulating apparatus has been described, butthe invention is not limited thereto. For example, a transversecompressive granulating apparatus may be arbitrarily adopted.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. The secondembodiment is basically similar to the first embodiment except for theconfiguration below. In the configuration of the first embodiment, thecompressive granulating hole 2 is formed as a double-stage holestructure, the front stage forms the compression zone Z1 having thesmall diameter hole 2 a, and the rear stage forms the compression zoneZ2 having the large diameter hole 2 b. On the contrary, in theconfiguration of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, space ribs 6are disposed on the lower surface of the die table 1 in a radial shape,a circular shape, a square shape, or a protrusion shape, and thenon-compression zone Z2 is formed between the space ribs 6.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the raw material is extrudedand compressed via the compressive granulating hole 2 to be granulated,the cutting blade 4 is provided with a gap (a gap corresponding to theplate thickness of the space rib 6) 8 at the outlet surface side of thecompressive granulating hole 2.

Then, the compression zone Z1 is formed by the compressive granulatinghole 2 having the small diameter hole 2 a, and the non-compression zoneZ2 is formed between the gaps 8. Here, the raw material is compressed bythe small diameter hole 2 a forming the compression zone Z1, swells atthe non-compression zone Z2, and is cut into granules by the cuttingblade 4 rotating along the outlet surface of the non-compression zoneZ2. Further, the gap 8 is formed in an area defined between the spaceribs 6, and the plurality of compressive granulating holes 2 is formedin each area.

In other words, the compressive granulating hole 2 forms the compressionzone Z1 having the small diameter hole 2 a with the same diameter overthe entire height thereof. On the other hand, the cutting blade 4 isprovided with a gap corresponding to the plate thickness of the spacerib 6 at the outlet surface side of the compressive granulating hole 2,and the non-compression zone Z2 that is open and continuous to thecompression zone Z1 having the small diameter hole 2 a is formed betweenthe cutting blade 4 and the compressive granulating hole 2.

In this manner, the raw material 5 of the granules 9 passes through boththe small-diameter compression zone Z1 and the opened non-compressionzone Z2, and is cut by the cutting blade 4 rotating along the outletsurface of the non-compression zone Z2 right after passing bout bothzones Z1 and Z2. However, the non-compression zone Z2 mentioned in thesecond embodiment is not provided to correspond to each compression zoneZ1 unlike the first embodiment, and the non-compression zone Z2 isformed to be common to and extending through below all compression zonesZ1.

Therefore, even in the second embodiment, the compressive granulatinghole (small diameter hole 2 a) 2 and the compression zone Z1 are formed,the gap 8 and the non-compression zone Z2 are formed, and the cuttingblade 4 is rotated along the outlet surface of the non-compression zoneZ2 to cut the raw material into granules right after the raw materialpasses out both the compression zone Z1 and the non-compression zone Z2.

Accordingly, the granular excreta treating material produced by theextrusion type compressive granulating apparatus according to the secondembodiment also continuously passes through the compression zone Z1 thatis applied with a pressure and the non-compression zone Z2 that is notapplied with a pressure, and is cut into granules by the cutting blade4. The density of the entire raw material becomes comparatively high dueto the high pressure applied to the raw material for a short time whilethe raw material is passing through the compression zone Z1, but thepressure applied to the raw material is completely released when the rawmaterial passes through the compression zone Z1 and thereby arrives atthe non-compression zone Z2, so that the raw material swells. That is,the raw material is appropriately fastened at the compression zone Z1,and is extruded into a rod shape to go into the non-compression zone Z2.The rod-shaped material 7 extruded into the non-compression zone Z2 isnot fastened, but naturally swells in the non-compression zone Z2. Thegranules 9 having a coarse density produced in this manner are restoredto be slightly rough, so that it comes to have a low-density structure,that is, a coarse void structure. Accordingly, the absorbing propertyimproves, and the disintegrability and the aggregativeness are promoted.

Further, the production method or the extrusion type compressivegranulating apparatus according to the second embodiment are the same asthose of the first embodiment except for a method of forming thenon-compression zone Z2. Accordingly, the examples of the mixing ratiosand the results of the breaking load test shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, and4B based on the examples of the mixing ratios are incorporated hereinfor reference.

The invention may provide the granular excreta treating material forpets such as a cat or a dog, which has sufficient absorbing property andsatisfactory disintegrability and aggregativeness without a coatinglayer or adding oil or the like. Further, since the granular excretatreating material may be produced at lower cost and fewer process stepscompared to the case where a coating is applied onto the surface of thegranule, or the case where oil or the like is added, the problem of therelated art may be reliably eliminated.

1. A granular excreta treating material having absorbing property andformed by extruding and granulating a raw material via a granulatinghole, wherein the granulating hole includes a small diameter hole and alarge diameter hole which are continuous to each other in the axialdirection of the hole, the small diameter hole forms a compression zone,and the large diameter hole forms a non-compression zone, and the rawmaterial is compressed at the compression zone, swells at thenon-compression zone, and is cut into granules by a cutting bladerotating along an outlet surface of the non-compression zone.
 2. Agranular excreta treating material that has absorbing property and isformed by extruding and granulating a raw material via a granulatinghole, wherein a cutting blade is provided with a gap from an outletsurface side of the granulating hole, the granulating hole forms acompression zone, and the gap forms a non-compression zone, and the rawmaterial is compressed at the compression zone, swells at thenon-compression zone, and is cut into granules by a cutting bladerotating along an outlet surface of the non-compression zone.
 3. Amethod of producing a granular excreta treating material bypress-inserting a raw material from an inlet of a granulating hole of anextrusion type compressive granulating apparatus and cutting the rawmaterial extruded from an outlet of the granulating hole into granulesby a cutting blade, the method comprising: forming the granulating holeof which the front stage side forms a compression zone and the rearstage side forms a non-compression zone continuous to the compressionzone; installing the cutting blade in a manner such that the cuttingblade rotates along an outlet surface of the non-compression zone;compressing the raw material at the compression zone; allowing the rawmaterial to swell at the non-compression zone; and causing the cuttingblade to rotate along the outlet surface of the non-compression zone tocut the raw material into granules.
 4. A method of producing a granularexcreta treating material by press-inserting a raw material from aninlet of a granulating hole of an extrusion type compressive granulatingapparatus and cutting the raw material extruded from an outlet of thegranulating hole into granules by a cutting blade, the methodcomprising: installing the cutting blade with a gap from an outletsurface side of the granulating hole; forming a compression zone in thegranulating hole; forming a non-compression zone in the gap; compressingthe raw material at the compression zone; allowing the raw material toswell at the non-compression zone; and causing the cutting blade torotate along the outlet surface of the non-compression zone to cut theraw material into granules.
 5. An extrusion type compressive granulatingapparatus for a granular excreta treating material, comprising: a dietable which has a plurality of granulating holes passing through the dietable; a pressurizing rotation wheel which press-inserts a raw materialinto each granulating hole of the die table into granules; and a cuttingblade which cuts the raw material extruded from an outlet of eachgranulating hole of the die table into granules, wherein the front stageside of the granulating hole forms a compression zone and the rear stageside thereof forms a non-compression zone continuous to the compressionzone, the cutting blade is provided to rotate along an outlet surface ofthe non-compression zone, the raw material is compressed at thecompression zone, the raw material swells at the non-compression zone,and the cutting blade rotates along the outlet surface of thenon-compression zone to cut the raw material into granules.
 6. Anextrusion type compressive granulating apparatus for a granular excretatreating material, comprising: a die table which has a plurality ofgranulating holes passing through the die table; a pressurizing rotationwheel which press-inserts a raw material into each granulating hole ofthe die table; and a cutting blade which cuts the raw material extrudedfrom an outlet of each granulating hole of the die table into granules,wherein the cutting blade is provided with a gap from an outlet surfaceside of the granulating hole, a compression zone is formed in thegranulating hole, a non-compression zone is formed in the gap, the rawmaterial is compressed at the compression zone, the raw material swellsat the non-compression zone, and the cutting blade rotates along theoutlet surface of the non-compression zone to cut the raw material intogranules.